4 reasons why Bayern Munich are not at fault for lack of competition in the Bundesliga

Bayern Munich are looking to become Bundesliga champions for an unprecedented fourth consecutive timeWhen fans talk about leagues other than EPL, the constant criticism that is levelled at them is the lack of competition between teams, with one or two clubs seemingly winning the title year after year. In Germany, that finger is pointed at Bayern Munichwho seem to be winning all there is to win domestically without even breaking a sweat.While there is some truth when Real Madrid and Barcelona are blamed for the lack of competition in La Liga, the same isn't necessarily true for Bayern Munich and the Bundesliga. Here are 4 reasons why Bayern Munich shouldn't be blamed for the lack of competition in the German league.

#1 Lack of consistency from other teams

Borussia Dortmund have failed to reach the heights of 2010-2012

The last 3 seasons have seen Bayern Munich romp to the league title without so much as a fight from the other teams. During this time, they have also beaten Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League to become the champions of Europe too. But it isn’t that Bayern have a monopoly on the title, it is more the case that other teams are unable to find consistency.

In the last 10 years, there have been four different champions in Germany, the same which cannot be said of either the Spanish or the English Premier League. But the concern here should be that none of Stuttgart, Wolfsburg or Borussia Dortmund have been able to maintain consistency and challenge for the title.

Bayern, on the other hand, have roared back to the title after losing it except for that one time when Dortmund managed to land back-to-back championships in 2010/11 and 2011/12.

Champions don’t settle after winning one title, they get hungry for more. And that’s what other clubs need to show.

#2 Player Transfers

Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze moved from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich

One of the allegations levelled against Bayern Munich is that they weaken their opponents by buying their players. That certainly seems to be the case with Borussia Dortmund, with Bayern raiding their rivals for two of their top players in Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski.

This led to the club’s officials coming out and saying that Bayern want to destroy them by taking away all their good players. That idea seems to have stuck with the fans. But nobody seems to be paying attention to what Bayern have to say about it.

The goal of any transfer is to strengthen your own team, not to weaken the opponent. When you have players that are on top of their game, it is obvious clubs will try to sign them up. If there is any blame to be put, it should be on the respective clubs for not having a plan in place in case they end up in a situation where they lose their best players.

In this case, Bayern met Gotze’s £32m release clause while Lewandowski signed a pre-contract when he wasn’t happy with the treatment and respect he received at Dortmund.

#3 Revenue and TV deals

It is indisputable that Bayern Munich have more money than any of their domestic rivals, but that is not because of any undue advantage they have gained, like in the case of Real Madrid and Barcelona. As in the EPL, Bundesliga distribute the TV money among all the clubs depending on their standing in the league table.

Where Bayern scores more is money they earn from the gates as well as the Champions League. But those two revenue streams are down to performance, and so the club are in a good cycle where they can fund their transfers on quality players which in turn helps them play good football.

The other clubs, however, have not been able to find that balance. Dortmund, for example, spunked €150 million from their IPO on players that didn’t perform to their expectations, driving the club to near bankruptcy. They came back from that following structural changes and have managed to win back-to-back titles and reach the Champions League final.

While there is money in Bayern’s coffers, it is down to sound management more than anything else.

#4 Financial Fair Play

There is another argument that Bundesliga rules favour Bayern Munich as it would mean that there won’t be other clubs who can get investors to buy them, spend money and challenge for the title. After every season, clubs must show the league that they are solvent and only then will they be given a licence to play in the following season.

It is one of the reasons why the league remains healthy amidst all the busts in the English league. Also, the league has a 50+1 rule for its clubs, apart from a few exceptions like Wolfsburg, who were initially formed as factory teams. The 50+1 rule ensures club members retain control and deny external investors from taking over.

Both these caveats seem to show that Bayern cannot be dislodged from their top position in the league. While it would seem to be the case, removing either of them would be detrimental to the league.

Rather, there should be more discussion on taking unpopular measures like a staggered match schedule that can bring in more TV money to help clubs obtain more money to invest.